Letter box



March 7, 1933. A ER 1,900,078

LETTER BOX Filed April 4, 1931 /nuen for:

l atentecl- Mar. 7, I933 UNITED STATES FRIEDRICH SAUTER, OF WEINGARTEN,GERMANY LETTER BOX Application filed April 4, 1931.

This invention relates to a letter box of any kind and has for itsobject to close the slot of the letter box from the inner side by meansof a resiliently mounted cylinder of suitable material, rotatably onlyin one direction in such a manner that, during the insertion of a letterinto the box, the cylinder is pressed away from the slot and rotated bythe letter inserted, in the direction of the insertion.

Consequently the removal of letters by unauthorized persons through theinsertion slot is rendered impossible.

If the letter should remain suspended between the inner end of the slotand the cylinder, it is sufficient to slightly depress the cylinderbyhand, thereby releasing the letter which must then positively drop intothe box. The cylinder is made rotatable in one direc tion and locked inthe other direction, in

order to render it absolutely impossible to remove letters through theslot, using accessory means, such as wire hooks, sticks coated withadhesive material or the like. The suitably locked cylinder covering acertain portion of the slot has been proved to be a reliablepreventative in all instances.

A house letter box is illustrated in side elevation by way of example inthe only figure of the accompanying drawing, with one side wall removed.

The letter box is designated by 2, its door by 3, its rear wall by 4,the top plate by 5 and a slot in the top wall by 6. On the front wall 7,two resilient supporting bars 8 are fixed. In the bearings 9 fixed eachto one supporting bar, journals 11 of a cylinder 10 are rotatablymounted. One of the two resilient supporting bars 8, that shown in theSerial No. 527,731.

lloower surface of the bottom plate 15 of the The above describedcylinder can also be employed for protecting postal letter boxes, inwhich the insertion slot is usually arranged in the side walls and whichare also exposed to theft.

I claim A letter box, comprising in combination with the box having aninsertion slot, a cylinder in said box adapted to engage in said slot,two resilient supporting bars mounted on the inner side of one of thewalls of said box rotatably carrying said cylinder adapted to press saidcylinder into and close said slot, a ratchet wheel on one end of saidcylinder, and a resilient steel strip rigidly fixed at one end on one ofsaid bars engaging with its free end said ratchet wheel, adapted tocooperate with said ratchet wheel to allow said cylinder to turn in thedirection necessary for inserting a letter in said slot and to lock saidcylinder against rotation in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRIEDRICH SAUTER.

0 drawing, carries a resilient locking pawl 13 p in the form of a steelstrip, rigidly fixed by means of rivets 'or the like, which pawl engagesin a ratchetwheel 14, rigidly connected to and rotated with the cylinder10. Thus the cylinder 10 can only rotate in the direction indicated bythe arrow, namely in the insertion direction.

Finally a holder 16 for newspapers or large printed matter, which, owingto their size cannot be inserted in the box, is fixed on the

